The End
by animechick824
Summary: Carly and Jason, face-to-face for the first time in months. Jason finally sees his true place in Carly's life - just in time to regret the choices that brought them to where they are now. Will Jarly ever recover? Carjax. Hints of Jarly.
1. The Beginning of the End

The End

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Summary: The end of Carly and Jason is not what one would expect. Carjax. Implied Jarly.

There was a sharp knock on the door. Jason looked up, wondering who it could be now.

"Come in," he called to whoever it was. He knew that if they were at all threatening Max wouldn't have even let them get that far. When Carly entered, he was shocked.

"Since when do you knock?" he asked ironically.

Carly looked at him sadly, then sighed.

"Jax, the boys, and I are going to Australia," Carly said.

Jason just shook his head. That was his best friend, making a drama of everything.

"When are you coming back from vacation?" he asked her, dutifully. She sometimes got annoyed if he didn't pay enough attention to her problems.

"We're not," she replied quietly. She might as well have dropped a bomb. Jason was speechless for a moment.

"…W-what?" was all he managed to get out.

"Jase, it's dangerous here. There's a war starting with the Zacchara's, the text message killer is going around killing people, and Jax and I want to make a family. We want to have a baby, but Port Charles has put a bit of a strain on our relationship lately. We're moving to Australia. Jax is homesick, and I figure it is as good of a place as any to make a home. Besides, I've always been a sunshine and beach gal myself," Carly explains to her best friend.

Jason was not expecting this. Carly had her entire life here in Port Charles. She and Bobbie were finally getting along; she was close with Lulu. Jax and Carly owned the MetroCourt. He could not think of a single other reason for Carly to stay, other than her relationship with Jason himself and the boys' relationship with Sonny.

Sonny.

"What about Sonny?" Jason asks, grasping at straws. He doesn't like telling other people what to do, but he doesn't want Carly to leave. Australia…god, it was on the opposite side of the world.

"Sonny and I have discussed it. He thinks it will be best for the boys to be away from Port Charles. It's been tough on them lately, with Emily and Leticia's murders," Carly points out to him.

"…you discussed it with Sonny already?" Jason asks. '…before you discussed it with me?' is his true question, best left unspoken. Carly gets an idea, a plan, she always goes to Jason first. That's the way their relationship worked.

"Last week," Carly affirms. "Jax and I just got all our affairs settled in Port Charles this past week. We picked out a manager for the MetroCourt, and a new school for Michael in Australia. Mercedes is coming with us; she's a great nanny. All that's left is to say our good-byes."

Jason doesn't say it, but he is hurt that she has not brought the topic up to him before this. She had everything planned out with Jax and never once mentioned moving to him.

"When are you leaving?" Jason questions, managing to keep the pain out of his voice. He hopes it takes the rest of his life for Carly to say her goodbyes.

Once upon a time, Jason had told Bobbie that he couldn't imagine his life without Carly in it. That still held true. He couldn't imagine her being so far away. She wouldn't barge into his office unexpectedly anymore, upsetting the monotony and making him happy to have her craziness nearby. No more headaches. No more plans. No more calls at 4 a.m. just to talk. If she had problems, she'd run to Jax. Jax, her husband. Jax, the man that she is leaving her home for; leaving him for.

"Tomorrow," Carly responded. She fell silent, still, allowing him to think about what this meant. What this meant for "Jason and Carly." Because pretty soon it would be "Jax and Carly," with supposed best friend Jason Morgan half way around the world.

Jason knew that he was thinking crazy. Carly must have rubbed off on him. But there was always a certain amount of possessiveness between them. Jason had always come first in her life. She put him before her mother, before her husbands, before her friends. Carly loved Jason as selflessly and selfishly as she loved Michael and Morgan.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Carly," Jason responds. Tomorrow was too soon. Too soon to think about what this really meant.

Jason had a special place in his heart that was reserved for Carly, and he tried to contain his love for her to just that part. But she always had a thing about boundaries. Carly found her way into every part of his heart, just as she found her way into every part of his life. It made it hard to find room for other women, for the Sams and Elizabeths of the world. And Jason knew that Carly held him in the same regard. She depended on him, needed him. And that would soon become past tense.

"Say you'll miss me, but you're happy for me. Tell me you're happy that Jax and I are going to put each other first, for once," Carly almost pleads with him. She doesn't need his approval, but she wants it desperately. She wants it so desperately that she's convinced herself that she needs it.

Jason has heard that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." But Jason knew Carly, and he knew what distance did to them. She may miss him, but she'd start standing on her own two feet. She'd become independent of him, and she wouldn't need him any more. It had happened before, when he had left town. But he had always been the one to leave, and she had always remained in Port Charles. And Jason knew that she'd always be there to return to.

"I'll miss you, but I'm happy for you. I'm happy that you and Jax are going to put each other first, for once," Jason parrots, changing only the pronouns in an attempt to make her happy, even if he was breaking inside.

"Jason…," Carly chokes out, unsure what else to say. She's going to miss him, but she needs to do this for herself. Her dependency on Jason, her absolute need to see him happy but still be his first priority, it was driving her crazy and driving Jax away. And she loved Jax; she wanted him to be her forever. She wanted a beautiful blonde-haired blue-eyed daughter to teach how to shop, and dress up, and wrap her daddy around her little finger.

Jason knew this was going to be the end of her almost unhealthy obsession with his life. He didn't have the heart to let her know that he cared about her happiness and her priorities just as much. A part of him, the most selfish part, needed to know that she would always put him before the Jaxs and Sonnys in her life, just as she would always come before the Elizabeths and Sams for him. But she was leaving this time. And if Carly learned anything from her craziness of a relationship with Sonny, it was to never go back.

"I love you," he tells her honestly, meaning it in every way. She was his best friend, the most important person in his life, and the almost soulmate. Time and circumsance had always worked against them.

"I love you too," she replies, just as honestly. But they only acknowledge the friendship. The chance for anything more had died so many times since November 1999 that it was impossible to acknowledge anything more.

She comes behind his desk to where he is now standing. Sometimes he doesn't trust his legs enough to stand in her presence, but now is not one of those times. They hug, and both feel the finality of the goodbye. She pulls back slightly, wanting to kiss him just one last time. Carly gives in enough to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"We'll come back every once in a while. We're starting a chain of hotels in Australia, but we'll be delegating a lot of the work. Jax wants to try to have a baby right away; he was so happy when I told him I was off the birth control. Dr. Lee says to keep up hope that the fertilization treatments will work, and she recommended a good doctor in Australia," Carly tells him.

Jason hangs on her every word. He knows it is going to be the last time that she tells him her plans in such complete detail. She has always included him in every part of her life, and he has just realized how much he has taken her love and loyalty for granted.

Carly pauses for a moment before she leaves the office.

"It would have been amazing," she informs him softly.

"Like two colliding shooting stars," Jason confirms. "Just as short, just as beautiful…"

"…And just as devastating," Carly finishes. "But it would have been wonderful before the end."

And so goes the end of "Jason and Carly." They'll still be friends, of course, but time and distance will wear away the bonds that make them best. And although Carly knows that she can still go to Jason for anything, she won't. And even though Jason wants to tell Carly to stop and count to ten first, he'll take his own advice and hold his tongue.

And the end of the greatest "should have been" in history comes with a door softly closing, not a shooting star in sight.


	2. I Love You Too to an Empty Office

The End: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney. "She Thinks She Needs Me" is sung by Andy Griggs; I don't own that either.

Summary: The end of Carly and Jason is not what one would expect. Carjax. Implied Jarly.

Tomorrow came and went. Carly, Jax, and the boys left Port Charles for Australia. Jason wanted to follow, but he had too many responsibilities in New York.

It's been a week. She calls every day. It doesn't stop him from wondering, though.

Every day, he wonders if she remembers to count to ten before doing anything drastic. He wonders if she was happy, if she was making friends, if Michael was giving her a hard time. And he wonders about her relationship with Jax, and whether or not she is going to bring another child into this world for him to love as his own.

"She thinks I walk on water. She thinks I hung the moon…" Jason's cell phone began to ring the special ringtone that let him know Carly was calling. "She Thinks She Needs Me" by Andy Griggs – it was extremely fitting for their relationship.

"Hello Carly," he says as he snaps open his phone.

"Hey Jase," Carly says excitedly. "Guess what?"

"What?" he humors her. He finds that he's been doing that a lot more lately. Saying what she wants him to; doing what she wants him to. It's his way of doing what he can to make sure their long-distance relationship lasts.

"I'm pregnant!" she replies, almost before he gets his one word it. "Jax is so excited, and Michael and Morgan are already trying to feel for movement from their little sister. Even Mercedes is happy; I'm not sure if it's because she wants another kid to watch or if she just wants the pay raise that comes with an infant."

Jason is silent for a moment. God, if she was still in Port Charles he knew that she would have run to his office and told him as soon as her doctor let her know she was pregnant. Before Jax, before her boys, and especially before the nanny. Had she told the entire world before her supposed best friend? He knows he's being selfish, that he should be happy for her. But if it's not his child that she's pregnant with, the least he wants is to share this with her first…

"Jase, did you hear me?" she asks him. Jason guesses that he waited too long to respond.

"Yeah, Carly," somehow Jason manages to keep the crack from his voice. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she responds quickly. Jason smiles at how happy she sounds. His smile soon changes into a frown with her next words.

"I have to go now, Jase," she tells him. "I have to let Mama know she's going to have another grandchild, and Lulu needs to know about her first female cousin."

Jason is glad that she called him before Bobbie and Lulu, at least. But…

"Are you sure it's a girl, Carly?" he questions her.

"Of course it's a girl. I can feel it, Jase," she tells him confidently. Same old Carly. She thinks if she wants something enough, it will magically happen.

"All right," Jason humors her again. The last thing he wants is for her to get mad at him when he's too far away for his baby blues to make her forgive him. And Carly was even more moody when she was pregnant.

"Bye," she says before disconnecting. Jason just stares at his phone after he clicks "end." It's the first time since she left that she hasn't told him "I love you" after her goodbye. He wants to say that he doesn't know why it bothers him so much, but he doesn't want to lie to himself.

"I love you too," Jason says out loud to the empty room.

The weeks pass, and Carly's calls come with less and less frequency. First every other day, then every three days, and now she calls every Sunday afternoon. She tells him some details about her life, but Jason misses the time when he knew everything.

He talks to Sonny about her every once in a while, but it's like Sonny doesn't even care that his ex-wife and kids are on the other side of the world, building a life without him. Carly promised that Michael and Morgan would spend the summer in Port Charles with Sonny, but she wanted them back in time for her due date in September. Sonny is so caught up in his relationship with Kate that he doesn't even miss them.

"She thinks I've got it together. She swears I'm as tough as nails," and there goes his patented Carly ringtone. She always seems to call when he's thinking about her. Although that could just be because there isn't a time that he's not thinking about her.

"Hey Jase," Carly chirps happily as soon as he picks up. Sometimes he wonders how she can be so happy when he's breaking inside.

"Hey," he responds, successfully hiding his pain once again.

"Twins," she tells him. "A boy and a girl. One for Jax and one for me."

Jason has to smile at that last part. He knew Jax didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl; he just wanted a healthy baby. Jax just said that he wanted a boy because he knew how much Carly wanted a girl; her husband loved to push her buttons because Carly was so beautiful when she was angry. Just another countless thing that Jason missed about her.

"That's great, Carly," and Jason genuinely means it. God, two more Carly babies. A little blonde-haired blue-eyed girl; her mother's little clone, Carly's angel. And a little blonde-haired blue-eyed boy. Jason's…not Jason's anything.

It would be Jax's son; a little boy for him to teach how to surf and boat and have fun. Jason probably wouldn't even get to see Carly's kids until they were at least a few months old. Just the thought almost brings him to his knees.

"Thanks," she tells him. "I have to call Bobbie and Lulu and tell them the great news. I'll talk to you next week, Jase. Love ya."

Jason closes his eyes as the call he waited for all week disconnects after less than five minutes. And she had said "Love ya" so flippantly that he had rather she had said nothing at all. Carly had always said "I love you" with such complete seriousness and sincerity that he never had any doubts. But it was impossible to be secure in their relationship when he only got a call once a week from his best friend who lived halfway across the world.

"I love you too," Jason once again says out loud to the empty office. It's almost tradition now, because Carly always hangs up on him before he can say it to her.

It's June now. Carly missed her weekly Sunday call yesterday afternoon, and Jason just sits in his office willing his phone to ring when he should be working. He stares at his phone, wondering why he doesn't just call her himself. But Jason has never had to be the one who worked to keep their friendship alive. Carly needed something; she asked; and he usually gave it to her. She made it as easy on him as possible.

"She don't know that it's all about her. She don't know I can live without her," Jason starts at the sound of his ringtone. He scrambles to open his phone as soon as he realizes it's not just his imagination playing tricks on him.

"Hey," he says quickly, waiting to hear her beautiful voice.

"Hey, sorry I didn't call yesterday," Carly tells him.

"It's okay," Jason forgives her. He would forgive her anything just to have her keep talking to him. Sometimes he wonders why he doesn't just tell her that. It used to be that he was afraid she wouldn't shut up; now he's scared that she'd hang up and never call again if he revealed that much of his pain to her.

He knows that the distance between them is growing, even if it's impossible for her to physically get any farther away unless she flies to the moon. Emotionally, Jason has no idea how to bridge the gap. Carly had always done it for them.

"The babies kicked yesterday for the first time. Jax was so happy that he sent Mercedes out with the boys, and we spent the entire day in bed," Carly is giggling like a teenager as she whispers that last part to him. A part of Jason wishes he was there to see her glowing face; the larger part wishes that she hadn't just told him that she missed their weekly call to spend the day in bed with her husband.

"That's…great," is all Jason manages to say.

"When are you and Jax bringing the boys to Port Charles for the summer?" Jason asks, successfully managing to change the subject to a safer topic. Or so he thinks.

"Well…" Carly draws out the word. Jason's stomach leaps to the back of his throat at her next words…

"Jax and I are going to stay in Australia until I have the babies. The doctor doesn't think that it's safe for me to take the long airplane ride this far into my pregnancy. Twins are always higher-risk, and with my not-so-stellar history she thinks it's bests if we don't chance it. Besides, it would be really bad if I went into early labor on a twelve-hour flight from here to Port Charles, or on the way back home," Carly laughs off the last part, not even realizing that she called Australia "home." Jason wants to vomit, because his home is always wherever she is. And this means he's not going to be home for a very long time yet.

"But the boys are going to take the flight with Mercedes in two weeks. They're going to stay with Sonny most of the time, but I managed to convince him to let Mama have them for a week, too. They are going to be there until the end of August, after all. Sonny can afford to share them with their grandmother for a short time," Carly explains to him.

"That's…nice," is all Jason manages to choke out.

"Jase, is something wrong?" Carly asks him, honestly clueless. There used to be a time not too long ago when she knew what he was feeling almost before he did. He doesn't know whether she lost that ability, or whether she just no longer cares enough to try to figure him out. He doesn't know which situation would hurt more, so he doesn't bother to ask.

"I miss you," he tells her honestly.

A pause, then…

"I miss you too!" Carly cries. She was always moody and emotional when she was pregnant, but oh so beautiful. That wasn't a change though. Jason would think she was the most beautiful thing in the world even if she lost all her hair and started wearing paper bags over her head.

"I love you," Jason manages to say. It's one of the few times in their relationship that he's told her that first. And it's the first time since she left for Australia that he's managed to tell her at all.

"I love you too," Carly responds. Jason can hear Morgan calling for his mother in the background, and the nanny telling the boy that Carly was busy on the phone. But Jason knows that his weekly time with her is almost up.

"I'll talk to you soon, Jase," Carly promises.

"Soon," Jason affirms. Carly disconnects.

It's the first time in six months that he doesn't tell his office how much he loves it after a call from Carly.


	3. Their Boys

The End: Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Summary: The end of Carly and Jason is not what one would expect. Carjax. Implied Jarly.

The two weeks before Michael and Morgan arrived dragged by. Carly forgot her weekly call again on Sunday.

Jason tried to pretend that it didn't hurt, and he had fully given up on discussing Carly with Sonny. Every time he looked at his friend he was reminded of what that man's selfishness had cost him. Feelings that he thought he had buried deep, deep down where he would never have to look at them again resurfaced with Carly's absence from his life.

He worked more in an attempt to rebury those ungenerous feelings towards Sonny. But no matter how much he worked, the pain didn't relent. He found that he had not forgiven his friend as much as he thought.

Carly's distinct absence from his life, as well as his breakup with Sam and his new avoidance of Elizabeth, had left him with a lot of free personal time. Jason turned to introspection. He examined his life, and the choices he had made that led him to where he was now.

Jason realized that he had never really told Carly that he had forgiven her for her initial liaison with Sonny. Looking deeper, he realized that was probably because he hadn't forgiven her at all. It was a topic that he consciously ignored; he refused to let Carly, or anyone else for that matter, bring it up. Jason realized that he subconsciously punished Carly for that night throughout their relationship. It was always an elephant in the room that she had to ignore, or face losing his support. It made Jason disgusted with himself for how he treated his supposed best friend. No wonder she moved to Australia without looking back.

Jason also evaluated his own role in Carly's relationship with Sonny. He realized that he had pushed Carly away when his love was all that she wanted. He had been so insecure, so afraid of love, that he had taken Carly's choice away from her. She wanted to go away with him, leave Port Charles just the two of them with Michael, but he had convinced her and himself that she loved Sonny. That she would be happy with Sonny.

How wrong he was on that. And he had been afraid that Carly would be miserable if she left Port Charles with him. He hadn't realized that stemmed from the fear that he wouldn't be enough, that they wouldn't be enough.

"Well, look how that turned out," he snorted derisively to himself. She left Port Charles to move with Jax to Australia, and she was certainly happy. But Jason knew that he could have made her happier, had he given them the chance.

It certainly wasn't like him, to think in what ifs and about what could have been. But Jason really hadn't been himself since Carly left. There was a big gaping hole in his life, in his chest. He felt like she took a part of him with her when she left.

'Yeah, my heart,' Jason thought to himself. He just had to find a way to get over her. Sometimes he wondered why it was so much easier to pretend he didn't love her when she was right in front of him. Probably because, at least when she was there, he didn't have to pretend that he didn't miss her too.

"Stone Cold," Spinelli addressed him, entering the office. "The Blonde One has news of the mini-Valkyries."

Jason sat up straighter at Spinelli's words. He looked to his computer-hacking friend, and silently conveyed the message that he would like to hear the news. Spinelli, no matter how much he talked, also seemed to understand Jason without him having to say a word.

"Mr. Corinthos Sir has just received them at the airport. He called The Blonde One for babysitting duty tonight," Spinelli informed Jason.

Jason sighed angrily, rubbing his temples. The first time he sees his kids in months, and Sonny sends them to the babysitters? It was cold, even if the babysitter was their cool older cousin Lulu.

"What do you want me to say?" Jason asked his younger friend.

"Stone Cold should come partake in chocolately fun with The Blonde One, the mini-Valkyries, and the Jackal tonight. We are baking! Or rather, The Blonde One is attempting to bake, and the Jackal will pretend that the mere thought of members of the Spencer clan near the stove does not send him to pay homage to the nearest porcelain god," Spinelli babbled. The most disturbing part was that Jason actually understood what he was saying. It was a tribute to how much time he had spent with "The Jackal" since Carly's leaving.

Strangely, he found himself seeking out Spinelli and Lulu in the few times he wasn't thinking about Carly. Those times were few and far between, but he felt like he was getting better. Sometimes Jason felt like an addict, like Carly was his drug of choice. And now he was going through withdrawal because his best friend had just up and left him.

"I'll be there," Jason told Spinelli. He missed Michael and Morgan almost as much as he missed his best friend. Sometimes he had to remind himself that they weren't his just because they came from Carly's body. And he always had to remind himself that Carly wasn't his just because he loved her. Sometimes he actually believed that.

"Stone Cold?" Spinelli questions his mentor and friend. "You seem distracted? Is something wrong with…"

"Nothing is wrong," Jason told him. "Just…tell Lulu you love her while you have the chance."

Spinelli just stared at him, shocked.

"S-stone Cold usually keeps himself apart from affairs of the h-heart," Spinelli finally stuttered out.

Jason just looked at him for a moment.

"You and Lulu remind me of a couple I used to know. She would get in trouble; he would rescue her," Jason told him, distractedly. "Lulu wouldn't call you every time she had a plan unless she trusted you. She obviously cares for you. And your cell number was the only one she had memorized when she got kidnapped."

"Stone Cold, the Blonde One and the Jackal are just friends. The bestest of friends. The Jackal has never had anyone who understands him so well and does not judge," Spinelli claimed.

"And I don't want to lose her," he finally confessed when Jason gave him a look.

"Besides, Lulu loves the Unworthy One. He will make her happy," Spinelli wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince Stone Cold or himself at this point.

Jason closed his eyes, remembering all the times he convinced himself of the very same thing.

"The Unworthy One," he murmured. "How fitting."

"Yes, the Jackal thought so," Spinelli agreed. "Especially after learning of his devious bet with the Evil Blonde One!"

History was repeating itself.

"Spinelli, I just don't want you to have any regrets," Jason told him seriously. "If you don't make a move, one day you might look back and wonder what could have been."

"You are right, as always, Stone Cold," Spinelli agreed as he headed towards the door. "But I will wait for the Blonde One to make a move first, if she ever does."

Spinelli turned as he was halfway out the door.

"If she ever decides that she wants me, I'll be here," Spinelli assured him. "I love the Blonde One, and I always will. I do not know what I would do if she was so far away." Spinelli said the last part very seriously.

Jason looked searchingly at Spinelli. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised at his younger friend's insight.

"But as far as the Land of the Kangaroos may be, the Valkyrie will always return to Port Charles eventually. It is her home," Spinelli assured Jason. And then he left to find Lulu and prepare for their babysitting "date" that night.

Jason sighed as he rubbed his temples. He felt like Spinelli and Lulu were going to be the next Jason and Carly. Logan could be Sonny, and Johnny would make a good Alcazar.

"Just wait until she finds her Jax," Jason told his office, wishing he could have made the comparisons to Spinelli himself. Because as much as Jason might have hated it, he really felt like Jax was going to be Carly's forever.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Carly was asleep in her bed with Jax lying next to her. Her stomach was full with her twin pregnancy, and she had a content smile on her face as Jax's hand protectively shielded the two tiny lives that they had created together.

They both sneezed at the same time.

"Somebody, somewhere is talking about us," Carly sleeping told her husband, referring to the Japanese superstition.

"Only good things, my love," Jax replied playfully as they cuddled closer together.

As Jax fell back to sleep peacefully, Carly stayed awake for a little while just staring into the darkness.

"I miss you too, Jase," she whispered to herself softly. "And I promise I'll call tomorrow."

Back in Port Charles, Jason smiled as he left the office and headed towards Michael and Morgan. He could almost feel Carly's presence the closer he got to her boys.

Their boys.


	4. Fun Reunions and Mysterious Packages

The End: Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

"Uncle Jason!" Morgan shouted as he ran towards his mother's best friend and hero.

"Hey, buddy," Jason greeted the boy he hadn't seen in over five months, "how's Australia been treating you?"

"Great! We have so much fun there. It's really warm, and sunny, and the beaches are fun. Mommy and I build sandcastles all the time!" Morgan said excitedly. Then he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "But now Mommy's _biiii-ig_, so it's hard for her to sit down in the sand with me."

"I'm glad you're happy," Jason told Carly's son, the precious child she named after him.

"Hi, Uncle Jason," Michael calmly walked up to him. "What's new in Port Charles? We miss anything important?"

"Nothing too bad. Seems like the whole town stopped moving after you guys and your mom left," Jason told the boy he was once able to call his son. And it was true; it seemed like the entire world stopped spinning as soon as Carly and the boys moved to Australia with Jax.

Or maybe it was only Jason's world that froze that fateful day in January when his best friend and her children flew away.

"Australia's cool. Jax has been spending a lot of time home with us lately. He hired somebody to take care of the hotel business until Mom has the twins," Michael informed his uncle.

"That's good. How's your mom?" Jason asked.

"Big," Michael replied, "she's going crazy planning the nursery for the babies. And she's asking anyone who'll listen what names they like. But she's really happy; she goes to the beach every day. Our house is really close, and I go with her whenever I'm not in school."

Jason hung on Michael's every word. Carly's calls hadn't been regular lately, and when she did call it was usually pretty short. She didn't really tell him about her day-to-day activities.

"So, what names is she thinking about?" Jason asked Michael.

"I think she's going with Jessica Jane for the girl. Mom says that her and Jax will only consider "J" names. It kinda limits them," Michael informed him.

"And what about the boy?" Jason questioned.

"Mom's pushing for Jason, of course," Michael told him, rolling his eyes the same way Carly. For the exact same reason too: Carly always did that when she thought he asked a question with an obvious answer.

"I'm sure Jax wasn't too happy with that," Jason said with a little smile.

"No," Michael shook his head, "he wasn't. He wants Jeremy or Joshua or Jesse or Justin or something. He says he'll settle for Jayson, but everybody knows Mom will get her way. Jax gives her everything she wants if she just says 'please' enough times."

"Yeah?" Jason asks, interested.

"She's definitely the boss," Michael affirms, nodding.

"Yeah!" Morgan piped in. "Like when Jax wants to go out on the boat, but Mom wants to go to the beach; we go to the beach. And when Jax wants fish for dinner, but Mom wants pizza; we have pizza. Or…"

"We get it, Morgan," Michael cuts his brother off, rolling his eyes. Another Carly gesture.

"Or, when Jax wants to watch TV, but Mom wants him to take a nap with her upstairs; they _always_ go upstairs," Morgan continued, ignoring his brother's interruption. That was just like Carly too, talking even though she knew nobody wanted to listen.

That last part hurt Jason, though. He knew that Carly probably didn't want to _nap_. He tried not to think about that.

"You guys are really tan," Lulu says, cutting into their conversation.

"That's cuz we're always outside," Michael tells his cousin. "Mom makes Mercedes cover us with so much sunscreen, but we still get tan. Mom says the sun in Australia is really strong."

"I didn't know they had a different sun in Australia," Morgan confided, "but it's different from the one here."

That broke the ice once again. Lulu and Michael laughed, while Spinelli tried to explain to Morgan how it was the same sun.

Morgan nodded along like he understood, but Jason could see the glazed over look in his eyes. It was the same one Carly always got when she wanted people to think she was listening to them, but she was really in her own little world.

God, he missed his best friend.

"So, who wants to help make chocolate chip cookies?" Lulu asks the boys.

"Me!" Morgan yells, "I get to lick the spoon!"

"I want some dough too!" Michael tells his cousin. He's not going to let his younger brother lick _all_ the spoons.

"Okay, I'm sure they'll be enough for everyone," Lulu tells her younger cousins.

"The Jackal will respectfully observe," Spinelli tells Lulu. Then he leans over to whisper in Jason's ear, "Are you going to let the mini-Valkyries partake in the uncooked mixtures of the Blonde One? The Valkyrie will be most angry with Stone Cold if her offspring were to die in his hands."

Jason, knowing Spinelli was right about the lethalness of a Spencer's cooking, just chuckled and followed them into the kitchen. He would make sure that the cookie dough was suitable for eating.

After all, Carly _would_ be really angry if Michael or Morgan got sick.

Besides, it would be nice to spend some quality time with the boys. He knew he needed to make the most of it while it lasted.

They would be going back to Australia in September, and who knew when Jason would see them again.

Meanwhile, in Australia, an extremely pregnant Carly goes to answer the door.

"Mrs. Jacks?" the man asks.

"Yes, that's me," Carly affirms. "How can I help you?"

"You have a package," he tells her, dropping the brown cardboard box into her arms and turning to leave.

"Wait," Carly stops him, "don't I have to sign or something?"

"Or something," the man says forebodingly.

Carly, puzzled, closes the door and turns to the box. She gets a knife to cut the tape, and wrestles with opening it for a minute. Giving an "a-ha" as she finally gets the box open, the blood drains from her face as she sees the contents.

"Watch your back. Or should I say stomach?" the note reads. Underneath, there is a picture of a pregnant Carly with Michael and Morgan at the beach.

And underneath the note, two little baby dolls with blonde hair and blue eyes: one in blue and one in pink.

With nooses around their necks.

"**Jaaaaaaaaax!" **


	5. Flying Home

The End: Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

"She thinks I walk on water…" Jason snapped his cell phone open immediately.

Carly's calls came irregularly now, so each one was all the more precious. Jason's reflexes were fine tuned to that Andy Griggs song. Like Pavlov's dog, every sense snapped to attention as soon as he heard that song that so reminded him of Carly.

"Hey…" Jason trailed off when he realized his best friend was crying. Actually, crying was an understatement. She was sobbing.

"Carly, calm down" he soothed. "Everything will be fine. I promise. What do you need? Carly, please, breathe. Count to ten. Tell me what's wrong."

Jason tried to keep calm, but Carly was sobbing her heart out to him over the phone. It made him want to hop on a plane and fly halfway around the world just so he could stop her tears. Stop her pain.

"J-jase. I…there was a package today. S-simple brown box. No return address. Jason…I need you," Carly told him, sniffling and trying to get her breathing under control.

"Carly, I'm there," Jason told her. Just like that, he would jump on a plane and be there for her. Her asking finally gave him an excuse to go to her; to go to her just like he had wanted ever since she told him she was leaving.

"You…You're not even gonna ask what was in the box?" Carly asked him, almost disbelieving.

"It upset you. That's all I need to know to be there, unless you want to tell me," Jason informed her.

Carly managed a smile. Jason was the rock in the face of her hurricane. The one person who she could always rely on to help her, no matter what she did. No matter what she needed.

"There…there was a picture. O-of me and the boys at the beach," Carly managed to get out, starting to breathe raggedly again.

"It's alright, Carly. Calm down. I won't let anybody hurt you or the boys," Jason assured her. He was already thinking of all the enemies who would dare target Carly.

But why would they send the picture to Carly herself, and not to him or Sonny?

"Th-that's not all," Carly continued. "There was a note."

Jason didn't care who had sent the threatening package to Carly – they were as good as dead as soon as he found out who they were. They scared Carly, threatened her safety. That was enough for Jason to write them a one-way ticket to hell.

"What did it say, Carly?" Jason asked his best friend gently.

"It…it said, 'Watch your back…or should…or should I say your st-stomache,'" Carly blurted out, crying again.

"Carly…Carly, it'll be fine. I'll put more men on you. Nobody will get near you, Carly. I'll have the pilot get the plane ready – I'm on my way, Carly. As soon as humanly possible, I'll be there," Jason reassured his best friend.

"O-okay," Carly whispered brokenly. "B-but there's more."

"One second, Carly, just let me say goodbye to the boys first. I have to start getting everything ready," Jason told her soothingly.

Jason was furious at whoever dared to threaten Carly. He grabbed his coat, and gestured to Spinelli that he was leaving. Just as he reached the door, Lulu came into the family room holding the tray of baked chocolate chip cookies. Michael and Morgan trailed behind her, proud of their work.

"Are you leaving, Uncle Jason?" Morgan questioned.

"I just need to take care of something," Jason informed him.

"That was Mom's ring tone, wasn't it?" Michael asked with a searching look in his blue eyes. Just like Carly – always investigating, always needing to know what was going on.

"Yeah, but everything will be fine," Jason told the boy he still thought of as his son. "I just need to take care of a few things for her."

"You're going to Australia, aren't you?" Michael stated more than asked. Jason would have been surprised at the boy's insight, but it figured that Carly's son would have her instincts.

"Your mother needs me," Jason told him. "But everything is fine. It's just a precaution."

"Okay," Michael agreed, surprisingly letting the subject drop. "You'll scare all the bad guys away. They know better to mess with Mom when you're around."

"Nobody will mess with your mother if I have anything to say about it," Jason said fiercely, a far-away look in his eyes. "I have to go now; you be good for Lulu and Spinelli. And make sure you always have your guards with you."

Jason hugged both Michael and Morgan, and then he gave a meaningful look to Spinelli. He knew his young friend got the message – Spinelli would take care of Carly's boys. And a glance at Lulu let Jason know that she would help, too.

"Okay, Carly, tell me everything," Jason said soothingly to his best friend as he finally left.

"A-are the boys okay?" she asked him first. "I didn't want to talk to them while I'm like this. I…I don't want to scare them."

"The boys are fine. Spinelli and Lulu are watching them, and there are plenty of guards. They'll be fine," Jason reassured her. "I'm more worried about you. What else was in that box?"

"Jason…there were two dolls," Carly told him. That didn't make sense to Jason, so he stayed silent and waited for her to continue.

"Baby dolls, Jase. One in blue and one in pink," she continued. "They…they had nooses around their necks. A-and whoever…whoever sent the package used a black permanent marker to "x" out their eyes. Jase…somebody is after my babies."

Carly was sobbing again, and Jason found himself following his own advice and counting to ten before he spoke.

"Carly," he began, waiting for her to calm down and listen to him. "**Nothing** is going to happen to your children. **Any** of them. The boys will be well taken care of here in Port Charles. There will be plenty of guards. And I'm on my way to Australia now. I'm going to figure out who's behind this Carly. I promise. I won't let anybody hurt you or your children."

Carly took a deep breathe and let it out slowly.

"I'm glad that I can always count on you, Jase. I'm just…I'm so scared. I'm used to this sort of thing in Port Charles, but Jax and I came to Australia to get away from the mob. Away from the violence, and the danger. But really, the only thing that changed is that you're not here to protect me," Carly admitted in a small voice.

"I'll always be there to protect you," Jason swore, meaning every word. "But…Carly, where is Jax?"

"He's trying to find out where the package came from, who sent it. You know, all that stuff that you're usually here to do. He thinks I'm sleeping. He doesn't know I called you," Carly confessed.

"Whatever makes you feel safest, Carly," Jason told her. If she needed him, he would be there. Damn Jax and whatever he thought of it.

"He just wants to take care of me, Jase. But…I'm scared. He told me he's going to hire bodyguards and install tighter security, but I'd still feel safer if it was your men protecting me," Carly told him. "I know that they're a lot harder to buy."

"No guard I ever put on you will ever be bought, Carly. You can count on that," Jason told her. And it was the truth. Any man who was put on "Carly duty" knew that they would experience a painful and gruesome death if they ever purposely let any harm come to her.

They would experience a painful and gruesome death if they ever accidentally let any harm come to her too, come to think of it. Jason would not tolerate anything less than the best for Carly and her children.

"I know I can trust you, Jason. You'd never break a promise to me," Carly said, yawning. Jason could tell that the stress of the day had exhausted her, and she was ready to really sleep now that he had talked her out of her panic.

"And I promise that I will keep you and your children safe, Carly, whatever it takes," Jason swore to her again. "So get some rest now. Take a nap."

"A nap, Jase?" Carly questioned him, giggling. "It's the middle of the night over here!"

"Then go to sleep for the night, Carly. Hopefully I'll be there by the time you wake up. Knowing your sleeping habits," Jason muttered the last part just to get a laugh out of her.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Early Bird," Carly giggled, and then yawned again. "I can't wait to see your beautiful blue eyes. Then I'll really be able to relax and trust that I'm safe."

Jason smiled at the absolute trust Carly had in him, despite the situation.

"I love you Carly," he told her seriously. "You can trust in that until I get there."

"I love you too, Jase," she told him sleepily, already drifting off. "I'm gonna hang up now, kay?"

"Okay, Carly. Sleep well," Jason said. He waited until she hanged up before he pressed the red "end" button on his cell phone.

Jason waited a moment to collect all his swirling thoughts, and then his set his mind to protecting Carly. And the first thing he had to do was arrange for a flight to Australia.

Jason was looking forward to being home for the first time in months, despite the situation that brought him back to Carly.


	6. Jealousy and Just Friends

The End: Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

An hour later, Jason was all packed up and boarding the Morgan-Corinthos private jet.

Michael and Morgan were with Spinelli and Lulu, and Jason had increased security. Sonny was with Kate at the moment – it was the reason that he wasn't spending time with the boys on their first night back in months.

All Jason knew was that Carly needed him – she was scared and felt threatened, and she called him to make everything right again. And he would.

Jason dropped everything just to fly half-way across the world to save his best friend from whoever was threatening her.

Just as Jason sat down and buckled in, his cell phone rang. He got a look from the flight attendant, but answered it anyway when he saw it was Sonny. He owned the plane – his employees had to realize that he made the rules.

"What are you doing?" Sonny questioned him immediately, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Carly called. I'm on my way to Australia," Jason informed him.

"Just like that?" Sonny asked incredulously.

"She needs me," Jason responded simply. That was all he needed to know to jump on a plane and head straight for Carly.

"So that's it?" Sonny asks. "After months of her being hours away with my sons and her Candyboy hubby Jax, all she has to do is call and you jump on the nearest jet to Australia? What, did she cry a little? Say, 'I need to you, Jason'? And you jump to do whatever it is that she wants?"

Jason closed his eyes, already tired of the conversation.

"It's Carly," Jason responded. That was answer enough.

"And I suppose that makes everything else unimportant. Right, Jase?" Sonny mocked. "What if something goes down over here, and the business needs you?"

"Max knows what to do," Jason told him. "And it's been really quiet lately. Carly needs me, and I'm on my way to Australia now, Sonny. I'll take care of everything for Carly, and then I'll come back."

"And when another crisis pops up in Carly Land?" Sonny questioned.

"I'll be there," Jason says firmly.

Sonny just laughed incredulously.

"Man, am I glad you guys never got together," he mocks. "Your leash would be even shorter than it is now. Hell, I guess it's a good thing I slept with her when I did and showed you what a slut she really is, huh?"

Jason was starting to get angry. Sonny was obviously looking for a fight – something probably happened with Kate. Again.

"Sonny, don't take your problems with Kate out on me or Carly," Jason told him. "And don't call Carly a slut."

"Sorry, I forgot – Carly's committed to Jax now. Isn't she? They're making a home in Australia, land of the kangaroos. She's letting another man raise my sons; making a family with a man I hate. Giving him all her love and trust and devotion – running away with him to the other side of the world. And now she's giving him children of his own," Sonny said bitterly.

"Sonny," Jason sighed, annoyed at the man's petty jealousy. "You and Carly are over. You couldn't make it work, and she moved on. You moved on too. To Kate, remember? I'm sure she wouldn't be happy hearing you talk like this."

"I gotta give you credit, _Jase_," Sonny said, stressing Carly's nickname for him. "When you're right, you're right. Carly's moved on to Jax, and I've moved on to Kate. But tell me something…when are you going to move on? It's been ten years Jason. You're going to have to get over her sometime. Let her stand on her own to feet for once – or better yet, let her lean on Jax."

Jason ignored Sonny's jabs, even though some of them hit a little too close to home.

"Carly needs me," he said again. "And I will be there for her as long as she wants me. That's all you need to know."

Sonny started ranting again, complaining about Carly's hold over Jason.

Sonny complained, "You're never going to be more than friends, Jason. _Friends_. You don't have to…"

"Bye, Sonny," Jason cut him off, hanging up.

Jason closed his blue eyes and put his head back again the seat. He sighed, thinking about what Sonny said and how bitter the man was. He obviously hadn't gotten over Carly as well as they'd all thought.

"You're one to talk, Morgan," Jason murmured to himself as he drifted off to sleep.


	7. Nostalgic Memories and Many Regrets

The End: Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

"Jason!" Carly called out to him as she threw herself in his arms the moment he walked through her front door. He was slightly off-balanced by her extra weight, but Jason quickly compensated and hugged her back.

"Carly," Jason sighed, breathing in the scent of her hair for the first time in months.

_God, how I've missed her,_ he thought. _It's been so long._

"Are the boys alright?" she asked him in a small voice.

"They're fine," Jason assured her. "They were with Lulu and Spinelli when I left, and I increased security. Nobody and nothing will get to them."

Carly nodded against his chest, trusting him implicitly. Just as she pulled away to say something else, Jax walked into the room.

"Jason," Jax said tightly, his Australian accent more pronounced than usual. "Glad you could make it on such short notice."

Jason's blue eyes connected with Jax's hard gaze, and an unspoken message passed between them.

_She's mine_, they silently communicated.

They were both right, in different ways. One man owned her future.

The other, her heart.

Carly smiled at her husband as she extracted herself from Jason's embrace. Jason didn't want to let go. He wanted to hold her forever, keep her with him forever. Jason wanted to tell her to forget about Jax and just come home.

And home could be wherever she wanted, as long as they were together.

"Jax has his men on it, but we need your help," Carly told him, trusting Jason to make everything right again.

As Jax began explaining the situation, Carly slowly waddled over to the couch and sat down.

_Twins_, Jason thought with wonder, looking at her stomach. _There are two little miracles in there._

Seventh months pregnant with twins, Carly was glowing with her pregnancy. Not even the tear tracks and red eyes from the latest ordeal could take away from her beauty.

Nothing could take away from her beauty – not in Jason's eyes. Especially after months of not seeing the woman that he was afraid to love with all his heart.

Jax continued telling Jason about the package and their leads, but he also went over to Carly and helped her put her feet up.

"Please?" Carly asked, pouting.

Jax just smiled, glad that they communicate with so few words. He nodded, putting her feet on his lap and continuing to talk to Jason as he gave his pregnant wife a foot massage.

Carly smiled at him happily as she sprawled back on the couch.

Jason just seethed at how close they'd grown. Away from the stress of Port Charles and most outside interference, it was obvious that Carly and Jax's relationship had blossomed.

Jason remembered a time when Carly smiled at him like that.

"And that's everything," Jax finished his explanations, snapping Jason out of his reverie. "Carly would feel better with your men on security detail, but my men will handle finding the person or persons responsible for sending the package."

Carly just gave Jax a look, and then she turned to Jason.

"Thank you for coming, Jase," she told him. "I really needed you to calm me down over the phone, and I feel a lot safer now with you here. I'd really appreciate it if you stayed in the guest bedroom, at least for a little while. I can't expect you to stay until we catch these guys, because that may take a while, but **we'd** appreciate all the help and time you're willing to give."

Carly stressed the "we", more for Jax's benefit than for Jason. Carly knew her husband wasn't happy that she had called her best friend for assistance. But Jax knew that Jason made Carly feel safe, and he wanted to reduce her stress as much as possible. For Carly, Jax would put up with her best friend's presence.

Jason was too busy wondering how he could have let them grow so far apart. It seemed that the closer Carly grew to Jax, the more her husband pulled her away from Jason.

Even though Jason was seeing his best friend for the first time in months, he had never felt like she was further away. It was really hitting him just now, how much the time and distance had affected their relationship, their closeness.

There had been a time when Carly would run to Jason at the first sign of trouble, trusting him to make everything all right again. She wouldn't "appreciate" it if he stayed near her – she'd demand it. **Demand** his help and time, and **know** that he would give anything to make her feel safe again. And she would care less about expectations – and she wouldn't keep score.

Jason missed those days. He missed the times when she would call him at four in the morning "just because." He missed the times when she would run straight to him whenever she was scared. He even missed the times when she would try to run his life – even though she said she was just looking out for him.

And Jason regretted. He regretted telling her that she shouldn't call him at four in the morning anymore. He regretted letting other people tell her that she should go to Jax, her husband, when she felt unsafe or insecure. And he regretted telling her that his personal life was none of her business – and then trying to manage her personal life, and telling her it was for her own good.

"Jase?" Carly asked sleepily, snapping him out of his reverie.

Jason realized that he had just been standing in Carly's family room, watching her interact with Jax. Just standing there – on the outside, looking in. Just standing there like a fool.

"Yeah?" he managed to get out through his dry throat. Jason cleared his throat.

"What's the matter, Carly?" he asked.

"I'm going to go to bed now," she told him. "It's been a long, stressful day. I had the maid make up the spare guestroom – it's down the hall from the master bedroom. Jax will show you where it is once he helps me to our room."

Jason winced when she said "our room".

He hated the idea of her sharing anything with Jax. But Jason knew that sooner or later he would have to face the fact that she shared everything with Jax – her body and her heart, her life and her boys. But most of all, Carly and Jax shared a future.

"Okay," Jason agreed, sitting down on the couch as Jax led Carly up the stairs.

Jax kept one hand across her back, helping her balance. His other hand was on her hip as he guided her up the stairs and to their room. Jason couldn't look away as he saw the secret glances and caresses they exchanged because they thought nobody was looking.

But Jason was looking. And Jason saw.

Jason saw just how in love Carly and Jax really were.

And Jason saw that his place in Carly's life was more defined than it had ever been.

Jason and Carly were just friends – no more, not ever again. Not even best friends, because Jax had taken that place in Carly's life over these past few months.

And Jason had the uneasy feeling that he would never get that place back.


End file.
